I am standing by President Buhari – Kalu

Despite the ongoing gale of defection in the All Progressives Congress (APC) by chieftains of the party, former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu has said that nothing will make him to change his mind over his support for President Muhammadu Buhari.

Recall that reports earlier in the week alleged that Kalu was planning to defect to the PDP after the senate President Bukola Saraki and other legislators left the APC.

However, Kalu at a meeting with stakeholders and executive members of the party from wards to state levels including major stakeholders of the party in the state held at his Camp Neya in Igbere, Bende local government area said that he was going nowhere but to stay in APC and ensure that Buhari was re-elected come 2019.

According to him, APC under President Buhari in three years has been able to do what then PDP led government could not do within the sixteen years that they were in power.

The former governor who recalled how impassible the Enugu-Awka-Onitsha and Enugu-Umuahia-Aba-Port Harcourt were under the PDP and how he tried all his best to draw the attention of the PDP led government to the ugly state of the road which serves as major expressways connecting the southeast states and other parts of the country said that the story is no longer the same under the Buhari APC led government and vowed that APC in the state in order to recompense Buhari for his numerous works in the southeast which the state has benefitted, would ensure that he (Buhari) gets 75percent vote cast in the state come 2019 presidential election.

Kalu while using the opportunity to disclosed that the state government is taking glory over some of the federal government instituted projects in the state assured Abians that the party would soon come out with the list of federal government sponsored projects including the ongoing school feeding of pupils in primary schools, rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads among other federal government completed and ongoing projects across the state.

The APC chieftain assuring Abians and party members that the era of PDP rigging in Abia State is gone said that while they (APC) would not rig to win election in 2019, added that they won’t allow the PDP or any other party in the state to rig APC out.

“We will soon draw a list of some of the completed and ongoing projects in Aba and Umuahia and every other parts of the state being executed by the federal government through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other arms of government which the Abia State government is taking glory for.

“President Buhari has done more than PDP did in 16years. For the first time after 16years of PDP rulership, the Enugu-Awka-Onitsha and Enugu-Umuahia-Aba-Port Harcourt are receiving attention of the federal government. The Niger Bridge is about 60percent completion. Are we talking about the federal government school feeding and the numerous works that NDDC is doing in the state which the state government is taking glory of doing?

“We will soon list the projects that the federal government is doing in the state so that the people will be better informed and be in a better position to make proper decision in 2019. How can a government that has not been able to pay workers’ salaries and pensioners their gratuity and other entitlements be taking glory of what they didn’t do?

“The era of intimidation of the opposition or rigging in the state is gone. APC is ready to march PDP in any way and in whatever form. PDP are locust in the land of Abia and after 2019, the locust will be found no more. But you must go back to your various wards and local governments to preach this good news to the people. The state has been criminalized, it is now being ruled with lies and so, the power lies in the hands of the people to change or continue believing the lies. People must not vote because of personal relationship, but because of the competence of such individuals.”

Kalu who reinstated that the party has not zoned the governorship position of the party to any part of the state stated that the essence of such decision is to ensure that the party presents only but the best candidate who has what it will take to restore the state to the part of honour and glory.